and closer. The engine died, sputtered to a stop like it typically did, and a loud shriek rang out as her tiny little feet carried her straight into the barn.
“Oh…my…God…” It wasn’t Peyton’s voice. Wrong footsteps.
Kane rolled his eyes. Braden obviously didn’t bank on Vicky. Just what they all needed today of all days.
Peyton’s best friend provided cleavage whenever she showed up at the place, and she was cute in an annoying sort of way. He’d noticed she continued to show up more and more frequently. She must’ve planned to move in too.
Vicky turned eighteen many moons ago so he’d already noticed her. He flirted too. It drove Peyton mad so he did it more than he might have if she didn’t give a bone. Boner. He could think it now.
Eighteen. The sweetest number in the world. He wanted to share all sorts of sentiments with her now, as a birthday present, if for no other reason.
Peyton, for once, must’ve been speechless. They all peered over the ledge and watched in amazement.
“Peyton, is this yours?” Vicky emphasized nearly every word she spoke.
“I…I…I…”
“Well, is it? Did anyone else have a birthday?” Vicky probed. Kane let out a huge sigh and blew their cover. Evan poked him in the ribs, and the men stood at one time.
“Surprise,” Braden smiled and waved his arms as if to say ta-da.
“It’s hers?” Vicky squealed.
“Yes, Vicky, it’s hers. Don’t you ever shut up?” Kane snapped.
He didn’t know why but having her there ruined the surprise for him, and he quickly decided she didn’t have good looking boobs either. They were supported by a push-up bra. He might tell her he finally noticed. Yes indeed. He was pissed she decided to spoil their surprise.
Peyton blinked. “I…I…I…”
“Can you speak, girl?” Braden asked.
“I…can’t…accept this,” she said finally.
“You can’t?” Kane wondered why. Did she plan on leaving?
“No. I can’t let you spend this kind of money on me.”
“You do know we’re the kind of folks with money, right?” Braden asked.
“He means they’re rich,” Vicky translated.
Her eyes darted from Evan to Braden to Kane and back to Kane before she moved onto Braden again. “You really want me to drive this machine?” She waited for an answer. She stared at the brother who liked to live like on the edge. Kane grinned. His thoughts exactly. She’ll need a chauffer.
Kane would’ve liked nothing better than to provide a provocative answer. No, I want you to drive me, I’ll handle the machine. He resisted the urge. Hell, maybe he didn’t even think it. He understood she needed his approval, more or less, so he tried to nod with it.
“Sit down in it. You’ll change your mind.” He had a hard time taking his eyes off the sleek metallic tint coat. The jet stream blue would look mighty fine pulling in their driveway with the top down. The image in his mind’s eye tempted far too much, and he almost saw her pulling through their gates now, her blonde hair free falling into a wild wind.
Braden walked over and handed her the keys. “There’s a house key on it too. Boathouse key is the white one, looks like plastic. I figure if you’ve got a convertible, might as well have somewhere to drive it on a pretty day.”
“But of course, why not? The boathouse is the logical place for teens to hang, huh?” Kane gritted his teeth, and Evan laughed as he slapped him on the back.
Now, Kane wanted to kill him. Braden tried hard to screw things up where Peyton was concerned. For a man who didn’t want their houseguest fucked, he sure allowed her access to the wrong toys.
Kane wanted to scream. The boathouse? His private haven? The place where he romped the occasional gal pal after one too many drinks, and his one true escape from work and life and everyone in it?
“Do you think you might want to spoil her just a little bit more?” he finally snapped.
Braden started for the lower field. “Happy Birthday, Peyton.” He ignored Kane. Smart move, actually, because Kane felt confrontational now.
Since Braden expected a better reaction from Peyton, he never looked back. Braden pouted like a woman sometimes, and right now, his feelings were hurt. Let him go talk it over with his damn horse, Kane thought. Quizzard had more sense than his owner.
Evan shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. They won’t use the boathouse.”
“Oh yeah? Check out the jumping up and down over there. Sure they won’t.”
They looked excited enough to pop a few buttons on their blouses. They giggled, danced, and held hands as they continued their little dance moves. Yeah, that boathouse had their names scribbled across it now. Before long they’d paint it pink and hang bikinis from the deck.
“I take it the lake is more interesting than the car?” Kane studied their faces and noticed how they forced solemn expressions as soon as he asked.
“No, oh no. Are you kidding? Look at this car!” Peyton squealed.
Oh hell. A squealer. What he’d do to make her yelp for him. He looked at his brother, and Evan chuckled before he ran his hand over the front of his pants. Evan liked a gal with lungs too.
Kane grunted. The girls locked hands again and jumped up and down.
“They act like a couple of school girls,” Kane said as he walked out of the barn with Evan right on his heels.
Evan didn’t have a hard time reminding him. “They are a couple of school girls.”
Kane narrowed his eyes on his older brother as he tried to get Quizzard’s attention. The stallion ran loops around him. “She hurt his feelings or his pride?”
“Both.”
“Then I’ll talk to her.”
“I’ll do it,’ Evan offered. “All you’re going to do is piss her off when you start harping about the twenty-five thousand dollars we each pitched in for the cause.”
“I’d like to have a say-so ever now and again. He spent our money without thinkin’, and it just doesn’t seem right, you know, spoiling her like she’s ours to spoil.”
“She is ours to spoil,” Evan reminded him as he turned around and stared back toward the noise. “At least for now.”
“Great, he bought the added features.” Kane grumbled. “The car is loaded.” His dick twitched reminding him the car wasn’t the only thing loaded. He rubbed his hand across his denim jeans. What he had was just more lethal, or it would be soon enough.
The girls turned up the stereo volume. It blared so loud, the horses began prancing in their stalls. The men watching the display of true sex appeal stood in the breezeway and stared at swaying hips, bouncing boobs, and an erotic dance designed to tear at a man’s balls.
“Good Lord.” Kane rubbed his hand over his cock again.
Evan slapped his back. “Hell, give her a few weeks before you start that shit.”
“I’m thinking a few minutes. She’s of age now.”
“Don’t matter. Braden will kill ya.”
Kane shook off his dirty thoughts and changed the subject. “I guess every teenager wants a jamming car stereo.” And every man wants a woman who can move like her, he thought. “She’s going to thump all the way to school.”
“Admit it, you don’t mind if she’s thumping to the music just as long as it doesn’t draw unnecessary attention to the car or a few guys who might want to do some thumping of a different kind.”
Kane looked at his brother cross-eyed and walked back to the barn. Peyton reached a decision while they left her to check out her new gift. She loved the car. He didn’t even have to ask. She had on her shades, her hair pulled tight against a hair clip and her head bobbed to the music.
“Man! I love this car, Kane. It’s rockin’, huh?”
Why ruin her day by grumbling about price? “Yeah, it’s pretty cool, Peyton.”
Vicky elbowed her in the ribcage and then hurried off to grab something out of Peyton’s old clunker. Kane saw
